Thermostatic pilot valve mechanism



March 3, 1942. A N. BgGREEN 2,274,786

THERMOSTATIC PILOT VALVE MECHANISM Filed Allg. 17, 1959 NoEL GREEN 29@ 2a A BY ATTORNEYS Patented Maa. 3, 1942 THERMOSTATIC PILOT VALVE MECHANISMy Noel B. Green, Cleveland, Ohio, Aassigner' to The Titan Valve and Manufacturing Co., Cleveland,`

Ohio, a corporation of Ohio` Application August 17, 1939, Serial No. 290,549

1 claim.

This invention relates to thermostatic pilot valve mechanism such as is used for controlling the iiow of gas to the burner of a domestic hot water heater or like devices.

The object of the invention is to provide im# provide valve mechanism of this kind which not only is wholly safe in that the safety pilot thermostat shuts oi the supply of gas to both the pilotand main burners in case of emergency operation, but the mechanism for the purpose is of simple and improved form, self-contained in that all parts are combined as a single unit, and which avoids the use of diaphragm valves or other devices which complicate the mechanism.

A further object is to provide improved valve mechanismof this kind adapted for installation indiscriminately in those systems where the hot (Cl. s-117.1) main burner, and also a slot or v.other opening,-

suchas one or more ports I3 for producing ilames playing -upon and heating the thermostatic elements, which include the usual expansible tube I4, made of brass, copper or the like, and the non-expansible rod I5, made of porcelain, steel or the like.

The supplyo'f Vgas for the pilot name is led -to the tube 8 through' a llateral passagev I6 from a channel Il in the main casting, the flow to which is either through a passage- IB to be later referred Y to, or through an opening within the valve seat water thermostat is either ahead of or behind the pilot thermostat.-

A further object of the inventionis to provide mechanism of this kind including a starting valve by means of which the gas may be temporarily supplied for heating the parts to a temperature in which the pilot supply is maintained. Further objects of the invention are in part obvious and in part will appear more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawing, which represents one suitable embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section on the line I-I, Fig. 4, showing the valve mechanism applied to a burner;

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional plan view, from beneath, on the line 2,-2, Fig. 1, and showing the starting valve open and theE maintainingfand main burner valves closed;

Fig. 3 isa similar view illustrating the starting valve closed and the maintaining and main burner valves open; and 1 Fig. 4 is an elevation from the left in Fig.'1.

The thermostatic valve mechanism shown in the drawing comprises a hollow body or casing I provided with a connection 2 to which a gassupply pipe 3 for supplying the main burner may be connected, and also with a connection 4 for an outlet pipe 6 communicating withthe main burner 1, which may be assumed to be used for heating/water in a domestic hot water storage ta not shown. l

Attached to the casing is a pilot burner, shown as comprising a tube 8 provided intermediate its ends with a small orifice 9 just ahead of the lat' eral air supply ports I0, the mixture of gas and air being led to a burner member Il having an I9 controlled by a valve 20 normally held to its seat by a compression spring 2l. Valve 20 is the starting valve. It is normally closed, as 'shown in Fig. 3. To open it the operator applies his finger to the button 22, depressing the same against the eiect of the spring 23, and the inner end of the'stem 24, to which the button is connected, engagesthe valve member 270 and pushes the same off its seat to the position shown in Fig. 2, thereby/*establishing communicationr through the valve passage to the channel I1 from a supplyl channel v25 communicating with a chamber 26 and also with a lateral connection' 21 to which a pipe may be connected for supply- .taken off therefrom at 'a point ahead, or on the supply side, of any thermostatic valve subject to water temperatureso that a permanent gas supply is provided for the pilot burner irrespective of other accessories.

The gas supplied to the inlet connection 2 is led to a chamber 28 in the.valve body on the drawing shows the rod I5 extending into the discharge outlet 30 where said rod is provided with v ame'mber 3l bearing against one face at one end of a lever 32, an intermediate portion of said leverresting against an abutment 33 forming a fulcrum for saidleverrand the opposite end 34 end port I2 'for projecting a flame to or near the 55 of the lever lying opposite an extension 35 of the main burner valve 2,9. If the thermostatic elements are heated tube I4 expands and moves rod I5 to the right in Fig. i, turning the lever I2 .about its perch on abutment 33 and applying its.

end M to the main burner -valve to'move said valve from the closed'position shown in Fig. 2

to the open position shown in Fi'g. 3, permitting is responsive may be varied by removing a cap 40 from the valve casing to expose the end of a rod 4I, extending into the casing and upon a threaded portion of which the perch 33 is mounted.

If the ames all go out and the parts cool abnormally, the thermostatic tube I4 contracts, moves rod I5 to the left, swings lever 32- about its pivot and permits the springs 29a. and 43, respec.

' burner and requiring the apparatus to be again Axiauy alined with the main burner valve n l is a maintaining valve 42, biased toward its seat by a compression spring 43. Normally said valve is upon its seat, in the position shown in Fig. 2. Therefore gas supplied to the connection 21 flows through chamber 26 to passage 25 and may be permitted to flow to the pilot burner by opening the starting valve. Beyond the maintaining valve 42 is a'channel 44 sealed from the chamber 28 by a flexible diaphragm-49, but communicating with the passage I1 on the discharge side of the starting valve 2D.

The mechanism described operates as follows:

Let us assume all parts cold with any.hand valve controlling main burner 1 open. Flow of gas to the main burner is prevented because the main burner valve 29 is closed, and to thepilot burner is prevented because the maintaining l valve 42 and starting valve 20 are closed. The

operator depresses the button 22, opening starting valve 20. Thereupon gas flows from the connection 21 by way of passage 25, through the open starting valve 29 to passage l1 and thence to the pilot burner. The pilot ame is ignited. Immediately the thermostatic elements I4. I5 are heated. Tube I4 expands, moves rod I5 to the right, applies lever 32 to the main burner valve 29, and opens the same. Thereupon gas flows from the supply pipe 3 through the main burner valve to pipe 6 and thence to the main burner 1, provided all other hand or controlling valves are open and heat is desired. The main burner therefore ignites.

As soon as the thermostatic elements I4, I5 are heated, the operator can remove his hand from restored tooperative condition by the same series of operations before described.

All parts of the mechanism are contained within the form part of the single unit, readily adaptable to any control system for gas burners. Ofcourse, where any accessory control device, such as a hot water thermostat, is connected in the piping system beyond or on the outlet s ide of this valve mechanism, the maintaining supply of gas for the pilot flame obviously could come directly from the main burner supply stream through valve 29, dispensing with valve 42. But I find it preferable to construct this mechanism with such a maintaining valve and with a separate connection 21 for supplying gas for the pilot -burner in order to adapt the' mechanism to other systems, such as those where a hot water ther` y mostat or the like is connected in the system the `button 22, permitting the starting valve 20 to close. But by this time the valve 42 is open,`

because the effect of the lever 32 upon valve 29,

opening the latter valve, is communicated to the thence to passage I8, bypassing the starting valvel 20 and flowing to channel I1 and thence to the pilot valve. The latter will hence remain in operation so long as the flame Vburns and keeps the thermostatic elements hot.

V there being a passageway in said casing com-'- In the combination of a heatingdevice, a fuel I supply line therefor, and a pilot for said device, thermostatic control mechanism comprising a single casing providing two alined chambers and a third chamber disposed at one side thereof, one of said alined chambers housing a main'burner supply valve controlling flow in said fuel supply line, a pilot maintaining valve in the other of said alined chambers, said valves having alined v'alve stems, the stem of said main valve being arranged to abut and open said maintaining valve y when said main valve is opened, means preventing fuel leakage between said alined chambers, a thermostat heated by said pilot, an operative connection between said thermostat and said main valve for causing opening of said main valve when said thermostat is hot and for causing closing of said main valve when said thermostat is cold, a normally closed manually controlled pilot starting valve in said third chamber, a fuel supply to said pilot maintaining valve chamber on the upstream side of said malntaining valve, there being va passageway in said casing communicating between the upstream sides of said maintaining valve and said starting valve,

municating between the downstream sides of said maintaining valve and said starting valve, and there being a passageway leading to said pilot from the downstream side of said starting valve.

NOEL B. GREEN.V 

